This is a summary of the deployment of regular units and formations fifty years ago. It can be seen that the British Army was engaged in several major conflicts around the world-Egypt, Malaya and Korea. In addition, the build-up of the British Army of the Rhine was taking place as NATO forces were established in Western Europe. These commitments left very few regular units in the United Kingdom: the defence of the home base had to be left to the Territorial Army. As always, units were in perpetual motion between garrisons and stations.
UNITED KINGDOM London District-
Royal Horse Guards, Windsor
2 Bn Grenadier Guards
1 Bn Coldstream Guards [ex Egypt]
2 Bn Scots Guards
Edinburgh-1 Bn Seaforth Highlanders [replaced by 1 A&SH April 1952]
2 Bn Black Watch-reforming
Northern Ireland-1 Bn South Staffordshire Regiment
2 Bn Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers-reforming
Southern Command-3rd Carabiniers, Tidworth [replaced by 3RTR, April 1952]
4th Hussars, Tidworth
7th Royal Tank Regiment, Tidworth
18 Field Regiment RA, Larkhill
23 Field Regiment RA –coming home from Hong Kong
39 Medium Regiment RA
32 Assault Regiment RE, Perham Down
1 Bn Loyal Regiment [ex Egypt]
1 Bn Gloucestershire Regiment, Warminster
2 Bn Kings Royal Rifle Corps -reforming
Eastern Command-48 Field Regiment RA, Colchester
49 Field Regiment RA, Canterbury
47 Coast Regiment RA, Dover
36 Army Engineer Regiment, Maidstone
1 Devonshire Regiment, Colchester
Western Command-
2 Bn Royal Welch Fusiliers-reforming
Northern Command-2 Bn Green Howards-reforming
2 Bn York & Lancaster Regiment-reforming
AA Command –16 LAA Regiment RA
37 HAA Regiment RA
56 HAA Regiment RA
59 HAA Regiment RA
74 LAA Regiment RA
JAMAICA
1 Bn Royal Welch Fusiliers
GIBRALTAR
28 Coast Regiment RA
54 HAA Regiment RA
Fortress Engineer Regiment
Gibraltar Signal Squadron
1 Bn Royal Warwickshire Regiment
MALTA
36 HAA Regiment RA
80 LAA Regiment RA
Malta Signal Squadron
1 Bn Highland Light Infantry
TRIESTE
British Element Trieste Signal Squadron
1 Bn Cameronians
1 Bn North Staffordshire Regiment
2 Bn Lancashire Fusiliers [joining upon re-formation]
AUSTRIA British Troops Austria Signal Squadron
1 Bn West Yorkshire Regiment
1 Bn Dorsetshire Regiment
BERLIN
Berlin Signal Squadron
1 Bn Welsh Guards
1 Bn Royal Scots
1 Bn Durham Light Infantry
BRITISH ARMY OF THE RHINEArmy troops
40 Engineer Stores Regiment, Willich [forming]
HQ NORTHAG Signal Regiment [forming April 1952]
2 Line of Communications Signal Regiment
4 Line of Communications Signal Regiment [forming April 1952]
11 Air Formation Signal Regiment
1 Wireless Regiment
1 Air Support Signal Unit
I (BR) CORPS
15 Medium Regiment RA ??
45 Field Regiment RA [ex Korea]
58 Medium Regiment RA ??
94 Observation Regiment RA, Celle
1 Corps Signal Regiment
5 Army Group Royal Artillery30 HAA Regiment RA
35 LAA Regiment RA
44 HAA Regiment RA
72 LAA Regiment RA
77 HAA Regiment RA
11 Engineer Group37 Army Engineer Regiment
39 Corps Engineer Regiment
2ND INFANTRY DIVISION, Hilden
10 Hussars, Iserlohn
19 Field Regiment RA
40 Field Regiment RA
42 Field Regiment RA
22 LAA Regiment RA
23 Engineer Regiment, Dortmund
2 Divisional Signal Regiment
4 (Guards) Infantry Brigade, Hubblerath
2 Bn Grenadier Guards
1 Bn Irish Guards
1 Bn Welsh Guards –to Berlin –replaced by 2 Black Watch 4/52
5 Infantry Brigade, Iserlohn
1 Bn Queens Regiment
1 Bn Royal Fusiliers [replaced by 1 Leicesters 5/52]
1 Bn Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
6 Infantry Brigade, Munster
1 Bn Royal Scots Fusiliers
1 Bn Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry
1 Bn Northamptonshire Regiment
6th ARMOURED DIVISION [HQ formed at Lubbecke, May 1952]
1 Kings Dragoon Guards, Neumunster
7th Hussars
1 Field Regiment RHA, Munster
10 Field Regiment RA, Detmold
12 LAA Regiment RA ??
27 Engineer Regiment, Minden
6 Armoured Divisional Signal Regiment
20 Armoured Brigade, Detmold
Royal Scots Greys, Osnabruck [replace by 3 Carabiniers 4/52]
2 Royal Tank Regiment, Detmold
6 Royal Tank Regiment, Detmold
1 Bn Somerset Light Infantry [replaced by 2 KRRC 1952]
61 Lorried Infantry Brigade, Minden
1 Duke of Wellington’s Regiment [replaced by 2 Foresters 1952]
1 Royal Hampshire Regiment
1 Essex Regiment
7TH ARMOURED DIVISION, Verden
11 Hussars, Wesendorf
15/19 Hussars, Hohne
3 Field Regiment RHA
6 Field Regiment RA
34 LAA Regiment RA
21 Engineer Regiment, Nienburg
7 Armoured Divisional Signal Regiment
7 Armoured Brigade, Soltau
Queen’s Bays, Fallingbostel
8th Hussars, Luneburg [ex Korea]
17/21 Lancers, Fallingbostel
5 Royal Tank Regiment,
1 Bn Rifle Brigade, Celle
31 Lorried Infantry Brigade, Osnabruck
1 Bn Black Watch [replaced 1 Seaforth4/52]
1 King’s Own Royal Regiment
1 East Yorkshire Regiment
11TH ARMOURED DIVISION, Herford
Life Guards, Wulfenbutel
3rd Hussars, Bielefeld
2 Field Regiment RHA, Hildesheim
5 Field Regiment RHA, Osnabruck
53 LAA Regiment RA, Lippstadt
26 Engineer Regiment, Hameln
11 Armoured Divisional Signal Regiment
33 Armoured Brigade, Paderborn [moves to Bad Lippspringe]
9 Lancers, Detmold
1 Royal Tank Regiment, Detmold
8 Royal Tank Regiment, Paderborn
1 Bn King’s Royal Rifle Corps
91 Lorried Infantry Brigade, Hilden
1 Bn Royal Lincolnshire Regiment
1 Bn Sherwood Foresters
1 Bn Royal Irish Fusiliers
CYPRUS
2 Wireless Regiment
LIBYA
43 LAA Regiment RA?
52 Observation Regiment RA?
35 Army Engineer Regiment
Tripolitania Signal Squadron
Cyrenaica Signal Squadron
25 Armoured Brigade [forming 1952]
4/7 Dragoon Guards
1 Bn Grenadier Guards
1 East Surrey Regiment
joining during 1952-Royal Scots Greys, 14/20 Hussars
SUDAN
Sudan Signal Squadron
Eritrea Signal Squadron
1 Bn South Wales Borderers
1 Bn South Lancashire Regiment
EGYPT
Royal Dragoons
4 Royal Tank Regiment
43 LAA Regiment RA
71 HAA Regiment RA
42 Field Survey Regiment RE
GHQ Middle East Land Forces Signal Regiment
3 Line of Communications Signal Regiment
4 Air Formation Signal Regiment
1ST INFANTRY DIVISION
4 Field Regiment RA
26 Field Regiment RA
22 Engineer Regiment
1 Infantry Divisional Signal Regiment
1 (Guards) Infantry Brigade [replaced by HQ 19 Infantry Brigade]
3 Bn Grenadier Guards
3 Bn Coldstream Guards
1 Bn Cameron Highlanders
2 Infantry Brigade1 Bn Cheshire Regiment
1 Bn Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
1 Bn Royal Berkshire Regiment 3 Infantry Brigade1 Bn Lancashire Fusiliers
1 Bn East Lancashire Regiment
1 Bn Royal Sussex Regiment
3RD INFANTRY DIVISION
29 Field Regiment RA
33 Airborne Light Regiment RA
41 Field Regiment RA
25 Engineer Regiment
3 Infantry Divisional Signal Regiment
16 Parachute Brigade1 Bn Parachute Regiment
2 Bn Parachute Regiment
3 Bn Parachute Regiment
32 (Guards) Infantry Brigade
1 Bn Coldstream Guards [to UK]
1 Bn Scots Guards
1 Bn Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Regiment
39 Infantry Brigade1 Bn The Buffs
1 Bn Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
1 Bn Border Regiment
EAST AFRICA
East Africa Command Signal Regiment
King’s African Rifles
ADEN
51 Coast Regiment RA
64 Wing Signal Troop
FAR EAST LAND FORCES
HQ Far East Land Forces Signal Regiment, Singapore
19 Air Formation Signal Regiment, Singapore
SINGAPORE
27 HAA Regiment RA
74 LAA Regiment RA
Singapore Base Engineer Regiment
Singapore District Signal Regiment
1 Bn Gordon Highlanders
1 Bn 2nd Gurkha Rifles
MALAYA
12 Lancers
13/18 Hussars
25 Field Regiment RA
Malaya District Signal Regiment
1 Bn Manchester Regiment, Penang
22 SAS Regiment
18 Infantry Brigade1 Bn Suffolk Regiment
1 Bn Worcestershire Regiment
1 Bn Royal West Kent Regiment
26 Infantry Brigade1 Bn Green Howards
2 Bn 6th Gurkha Rifles
2 Bn 10th Gurkha Rifles
HQ 17th (Gurkha) INFANTRY DIVISION [forming]
HQ 48 Gurkha Brigade HQ 63 Gurkha Brigade HQ 99 Gurkha Brigade2 Bn 2nd Gurkha Rifles
1 Bn 6th Gurkha Rifles
1 Bn 7th Gurkha Rifles
2 Bn 7th Gurkha Rifles
1 Bn 10th Gurkha Rifles
HONG KONG
HQ 40th DIVISION
3 Royal Tank Regiment
23 Field Regiment RA
25 Field Regiment RA
32 Medium Regiment RA ??
24 Engineer Regiment
50 Gurkha Engineer Regiment
40 Divisional Signal Regiment
HQ 27 Infantry Brigade HQ 35 Infantry Brigade1 Bn Middlesex Regiment [to UK]
1 Bn Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders [to UK]
1 Bn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers
1 Bn Wiltshire Regiment
1 Bn Royal Ulster Rifles
[joining ex Austria-1 Bn Dorsetshire Regiment]
KOREA HQ COMMONWEALTH DIVISION
5 Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards
14 Field Regiment RA
20 Field Regiment RA
61 Light Regiment RA
28 Engineer Regiment
1 Commonwealth Divisional Signal Regiment
28 Commonwealth Brigade1 Bn King’s Own Scottish Borderers
1 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry
29 Infantry Brigade1 Bn Royal Norfolk Regiment
1 Bn Royal Leicestershire Regiment
1 Bn Welch Regiment
[en route –1 Bn King’s Regiment, 1 Bn Black Watch]